If you have just purchased a domain name, all you really have is an address. If a visitor visits that address they will receive a message similar to the following:

This domain name has been successfully registered on behalf of a client by WEBCOMPANY NAME

This page will most likely feature banners and other advertisements from your web host and their partners.

Simple put, without web space (space on a server) you will not be able to host your own web pages.

You’ll probably have asked yourself at sometime “Why should I pay for hosting when I can get it for free?” The answer depends on the nature of your site. A paid hosting plan is essential for most business sites, while for a basic personal site a free host might offer enough features.

You hosting allows visitors to view your web pages (HTML documents) and images when they view your site. When a visitor downloads these pages and images they eat into your allocated bandwidth. The more visitors you get the more bandwidth you go through. If you're web site is using newer technologies and server-side scripting (such as PHP) you will need to pay more to get a package that supports these scripts. If you have a bespoke database driven web site you will have to make sure you host supports the needed features or else your new web site will simple not work. Your web developer should assist you with the purchasing of your space if they are not already providing you with hosting themselves.

Much of the standard web space that is included with Broadband accounts or provided "free" do not allow you to make use of many features (CGI scripts, server side processing, web statistics, etc.) - these can be used to greatly enhance your site. These free accounts also have limited transfer rates which will lead to site downtime.